Little Bighorn Battlefield, MT
In the summer of 1876, the US government sent Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and his troops to defeat Sioux and Cheyenne Indians who had been forced to move.
Known today as “Custer’s Last Stand,” the Battle of Little Bighorn symbolizes centuries of Native American strains to preserve and defend their way of life from European-Americans. Nowadays, visitors can tour the very grounds of this underrated place where the turning point in the struggle occurred. There’s much to learn about the battle and Plains Indians through exhibits at the visitor center and museum.
Near the Battlefield, you’ll see the dramatic canyon walls cut by the Bighorn River at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, a few miles west of the monument. The 48,500-acre recreation area sprawls across mountains, valleys, prairies, and 345 wetlands and is home to more than 43 miles of hiking trails.